


Out of Dreams, Into the Sun

by onceandforall



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, i think, ronan is a witch and noah is a familiar, witch and lynch rhyme
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-04
Updated: 2017-01-04
Packaged: 2018-09-14 18:17:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9197660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onceandforall/pseuds/onceandforall
Summary: Ronan Lynch, aka the Greywaren, aka the head of the Cabeswater coven, has a lot of responsibilities. Trying to figure out how someone is able to see his familiar should not be one of them. Nevertheless, it is.





	

**Author's Note:**

> this is actually inspired by an [au list](http://romanuva.tumblr.com/post/155247145071/hi-can-i-get-some-witch-aus-please) and managed to completely diverge from it and create its own thing. it happens. always, a warm round of applause for my lovely beta, [ella](http://archiveofourown.org/users/strictlyintocasnow/pseuds/ella). as previously stated, she's lovely. title is from the song [River River Run by Run River North](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG2LKrromig). check 'em out if you can!
> 
> enjoy reading!

Noah is midway through talking about Blue’s newest mishap of a potion when he freezes and scurries from his lackadaisical position on Ronan’s shoulder to the inside pocket of his jacket. Ronan flinches and it’s only because of a quick charm that his coffee doesn’t go spilling all over the table. Ronan doesn’t like making a scene, especially in such a public place like this coffeeshop. 

  
“What’s wrong?” Ronan lowers his voice to keep any unwanted ears off of him. He can feel himself starting to tense, magic bubbling in the air around him like electricity. He takes a deep breath and lets his hands unclench; it’s been a close to a decade since he’s had to worry about someone wanting the Greywaren’s head, but old habits die hard. Ronan’s jaw is tight with a feeling of foreboding. 

 

“I’m not sure,” Noah squeaks. He is naturally flighty as a familiar due to his mouse-state, but Noah and Ronan have been matched together for years. If Noah’s worried enough to hide, even though the only person that he allows to see him is Ronan, there’s a problem. 

 

After all, Noah’s never been shy. 

 

“They’re not after the Greywaren. You’re safe,” Noah says, sensing the thoughts in Ronan’s head. They’ve learned to never pry at each other’s minds, but Ronan is a loud thinker and his anxiety is making his thoughts even more pronounced; Noah doesn’t need to be able to listen in to know what Ronan’s worrying about. 

 

“How do you know they’re not after the Greywaren?” Ronan asks and then hisses when Noah digs his sharp claws into his chest. 

 

“If they were, we would have been long gone,” Noah retorts. His voice gets smaller as he continues to talk, “But I still think that we should leave.” He pauses. Ronan’s back is faced towards the majority of the cafe, but he can hear the squeak of a chair as someone hastily gets up, as if they can tell that Ronan is on his way out. 

 

“Now,” Noah urges.

 

Ronan is up and out of the door in five seconds flat. 

 

\--  

 

After ten minutes of walking (jogging) and trying to look as inconspicuous as he can, Ronan finally takes a chance and looks behind him. He had an inkling that who ever spurred Noah’s attention had followed them out of the store, but there’s no one behind them now. He slows his walking and ducks into an alley so he can let Noah out of his jacket. 

 

The first thing that Noah does once transformed into his human form is stick out his tongue at Ronan. “Do you know how much it sucks being in your cramped pocket when you’re running like that? I swear, I’m going to have a crick in my neck for days.” He sticks a finger to Ronan’s chest. “And it’s your fault.”

 

Ronan doesn’t let an expression show on his face. After years with Noah constantly at his side, Ronan knows better than to give into his teasings. He cuts straight to the chase: “You gonna tell me what that all was back there?” 

 

Noah deflates, his shoulders sagging. The adrenaline from the quick getaway is wearing off and it’s leaving Noah vulnerable and shaky. Ronan can feel Noah’s anguish as a deep pit in the bottom of his stomach. “They could see me,” he says quietly, so quiet that Ronan wants dismiss it as nonsense. 

 

Noah’s magic prohibits himself from being seen by people other than his master. The only way to get around that loophole is if Noah has given explicit consent to be seen, and the only person that owns that privilege is on the other side of town. 

 

In short, there’s no way that someone should be able to see Noah, and Ronan says this outloud.

  
“I know,” Noah retorts. “That’s why it was so crazy. But I felt it; they had their eyes on me. I don’t know how long they were watching because I’m not used to having to watch out for people, but they saw me, Ronan.” He’s rambling as he goes on, and Ronan can feel rough cords of nervousness wrapping around his wrists like chains. He shakes them off, but it does nothing to stop Noah’s tumbling momentum. “I know I said they weren’t after the Greywaren, but what if they are? What if they’ve someone figured out a way to get to you through me? It’s possible, you know. Bonds between the master and familiar are strong enough to cause mutual harm. It happened once before in 1923 with the atta-” 

 

Ronan puts a hand on Noah’s shoulder in comfort. “Noah,” he says. “You’ve done nothing wrong.”

 

“No, I’ve been too careless. I’m sorry.” 

 

“Noah, you’re the familiar to the Greywaren, the most powerful witch the world has ever seen. He comes from a long line of magical families and is now the head of this city’s ruling coven. He’s remarkable,” Ronan says, knowing that Noah will roll his eyes at the egotistical, albeit true, statement. Noah does. “You’re also my fucking best friend. Whatever this is, we’ll figure it out together. And if they’re after the Greywaren, we’ll smite ‘em.” 

 

Noah lets out a breath and although Ronan drops his hand, Ronan focuses on calming thoughts and sneakily sends them Noah’s way. Noah shakes his head, rejecting the offered emotion, and sticks out his tongue at Ronan, again. “You’re pretty pathetic if your best friend is a demon that you summoned to be forever at your side.” 

 

“Bitch. I offer you comfort and this is how you treat me?” 

 

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding. If I didn’t like you, I would have ditched your ass a long time ago.” He lightly punches Ronan’s shoulder. “You’re lucky to have me around.” 

 

“Whatever you say, mouse-boy. But really, I don’t like the thought of you being seen by someone without your permission. It’s unnerving.” 

 

“Should we go see Blue or Henry?” Noah offers, and then scoffs because it’s never a question. Henry can’t even see Noah. 

 

\-- 

 

Blue, for all intents and purposes, was not a witch. She had plenty of magic flowing through her veins but it seemed that the magic touch that had blessed her mother and plethora of aunts and cousins had skipped over her. She had long stopped being bothered by it, though, and she gave Ronan a run for his money when it came to potion brewing. 

 

Blue had made her niche into the magical world without having any magical abilities and it was that talent, plus her no-nonsense attitude, that led Ronan to offering her a position in his coven half a century ago. She and her apothecary shop have been solid figures in Cabeswater ever since. 

 

For a better part of decade, Ronan had to hear about how it was unlawful to have a human in his coven from his older brother Declan. (It’s not, Ronan checked. It might be unorthodox, but it’s not illegal and no one is going to disagree with the Greywaren. After all, he is the most powerful witch in existence.) But it was worth it. They’re in Blue’s apartment now, sitting on her patched sofa and surrounded by the warm feeling of earth magic. There are plants  _ everywhere _ . 

 

To Ronan, it feels like home. 

 

“I can’t believe you even thought about going to Henry first,” Blue says, sipping on what most likely is some type of an elixir. Blue’s not a witch so she lacks the immunity and longevity that comes with being apart of the magical community; she often makes up for it with her homemade remedies. Ronan can see the elixir working on her as she finishes the drink: it makes the few wrinkles on her face smooth out and gives her a more glowing and youthful appeal. She sighs contentedly and stretches her hands over her head. “I’m ashamed of you, Ronan.” She waits a beat and then swings her hand through the air next to her. Although her hand meets nothing, she smirks. “You too, Noah.” 

 

Noah shimmers into her sight next to her, pouting. He flops onto the sofa and rests his head in Blue’s lap. Blue shakes her head fondly and immediately starts carding her hands through his hair. “How’d you figure where I was this time?” he asks. “I only let you see me for half a second.” 

 

“Half a second too long,” Ronan says. “You know how Blue is.” 

 

Blue preens under the unsaid compliment. “I’m sharp, getting sharper still. Can’t believe you even thought about coming to Henry instead, though. How disgraceful.” 

 

“You know I only meant it as a joke,” Noah responds. “Ronan would never willingly go to Henry for help. Just because they’re both in Cabeswater doesn’t mean they have to like each other.” 

 

“He’s busy anyway,” Blue supplies. “Something about meeting old friends. He stopped by a day ago to restock and told me,” she adds when she sees Ronan’s questioning look. “So what are you here for? I love you guys, but something’s wrong, right? I could feel it when you stepped in, magical sensitivity and all.” Blue pauses and then continues, a tinge of apprehension in her voice. “Is it Cabeswater? I thought you said that the debt was almost all covered?” 

 

“It is,” Ronan says and he knows that Blue can see right through it. It’s a half-truth. Their coven might be the most powerful it has ever been, but that’s after a major purge and a complete reconstruction. Favors had to be made, loans had to be accepted. Ronan is proud about how powerful Cabeswater is, but they’re running low on basic magical supplies. There’s only a little bit of debt left, but it’s enough to leave its mark. What does it say about the Greywaren when his own coven is on economic crutches? 

 

“Greywaren business, then? You said your father’s loose ends had been tied up.” 

 

“With a bow,” Ronan reassures. “It’s not Greywaren business, not Cabeswater. Just,” he searches for a word to use and finds nothing. 

 

“It’s a hypothetical question,” Noah chimes. 

 

“Hypothetical,” Blue repeats. She stares at the two of them for a long second. “Sure.” 

 

“Hypothetically,” Ronan beings, “is there a way to see someone’s familiar without said familiar’s permission?” 

 

Blue stalls, her eyes wide with suspicion. “You’re shitting me. Who saw Noah?” 

 

“Not sure. Booked it out of there before I could catch a glimpse of him. Think he tailed us, so we made sure to ditch him before coming here,” Ronan says. “It shouldn’t be possible, right?” 

 

“No, not at all. Familiars are old magic, the strongest magic. I don’t even think you could be able to break through those spells, Ronan. Not to mention that Noah here is one of the strongest familiars I’ve ever encountered. There’s no way unless Noah slipped up and accidently gave out permission or something.” Blue looks down at Noah. “You aren’t sick, are you?” 

 

Noah shakes his head and sits upright. “No, I’m not. And we just redid our bindings earlier this year. The bond between Ronan and me is fine. I don’t understand, but if someone’s found a way to see me–” 

 

“Then someone’s probably after the Greywaren,”  Blue finishes. She looks at Ronan, her eyes cold and calculating. She’s trying to figure out the situation and it doesn’t help that Ronan is as lost as she is. “You said this wasn’t a Greywaren matter. Ronan, you know that a witch’s familiar is their most valuable asset. Tied emotionally, mentally, physically. It’s the perfect avenue to get to you. Hurt Noah, hurt you. Hypothetically, of course.” 

 

Ronan shakes his head. “Thanks for the crash course of familiars. Didn’t need it.” Call him stubborn, but Ronan doesn’t want to believe that this is because of his status as Greywaren. When he had first gotten the title of Greywaren after his father’s untimely death, the magical community was in chaos. Giving a young and inexperienced witch the highest title of their coven? No one wanted Ronan to have such a position, not even Ronan himself. 

 

Half of his own coven wanted him dead. The other half were just waiting to take his spot. But now, Ronan has settled down, cleaned up his coven and kept them afloat, and he is now respected for the powerful witch he is. There’s no mark on his head like there were the years right after he gained his title, no more witches eagerly scratching at his door to try to take some of his power for their own. 

 

If this person could really see Noah, then it can only mean that they’re after the Greywaren. Why else would someone try so hard to unravel ancient magic? 

 

Ronan wants this to be a fluke, a chance encounter. He knows that for the Greywaren the threat of death is never truly gone, but Ronan is done trying to fight. He denies the situation: “Still doesn’t make it a Greywaren problem.” 

 

Noah frowns at him and Ronan feels himself grow empty. He’s left with a cold feeling in his chest, and although it doesn’t burn, it leaves him feeling hollow. It is the sensation he gets when Noah’s cut off their empathetic link and Ronan already knows what’s going to happen before it happens. 

 

“You’re so difficult,” Noah says and then vanishes. Noah may be older than Ronan and Blue combined, but his petulance is unmatched. Noah hasn’t hidden from him since the last time they had an argument. (Last week, to be precise. Noah had thought it would be funny to mix up Ronan’s dreamless and dreamful potions, which led to Ronan having a cacophony of nightmares and bringing some of the nightmares back with him. After they had killed the night terror and fixed the ruined house, Noah had sulked for a half a day and then came back with apologizes and a heartbroken look on his face.) 

 

“Noah,” Blue complains to the air in front of her. She scans the room with her eyes, but upon finding nothing she turns her gaze to Ronan. “It’s better to be safe than to be sorry, you know. If anything were to happen, you know that Noah would blame himself.” 

 

“I know.” Ronan looks everywhere but at her. He looks at the plants that she has on the windowsill, looks at the details of the fuzzy rug underneath him, looks at her buzzing phone on the coffee table. “You going to answer that?” 

 

Blue she lifts an eyebrow in reply. She doesn’t make a move to her get her phone, so Ronan grumbles but leans forward to answer the call. It’s from Henry, of all people. 

 

“You’re on speaker,” Ronan says in lieu of a greeting. He sets the phone between the two of them. 

 

“Greywaren! Fam, bro. Just the person I am looking for,” Henry says, voice loud and enthusiastic. Ronan winces. He likes Henry well enough for him to be apart of Cabeswater, but it is his constant bubbly attitude that puts Ronan on edge. If it weren’t for Henry’s knack for charms and his connections with the magical trading market, Ronan wouldn’t have ever glanced his way. 

 

“Hi, Henry,” Blue says. 

 

“Turquoise! Glad to hear your voice. Is the mouse there as well? Tell him I say hi!” Henry says, displaying another quality that Ronan dislikes about him. Is it so hard to call people by their names? “Ask him if I’m allowed to see him yet. We’re coming up on our ten-year friendaversary and I’m still eager as ever!” 

 

“No. What do you need, Henry?” Ronan replies, voice flat. The sooner they get this conversation with Henry over, the sooner they can get back to figuring out the real issues on hand. There’s no way for this to be a Greywaren problem, right? 

 

“Bummer. I’ll ask again later then. Anyway, I was meeting up with some friends, right? Long story short, they’re looking for you, Greywaren. I was a little hurt, to be honest. Haven’t seen them in years and then they only contacted me because they wanted to see the big bad head of my coven. When are you available?” 

 

“He’s available tomorrow,” Blue says for him. Ronan shoots her a look, annoyance bubbling to the surface, but Blue puts a finger to her lips. It’s only because he can imagine the hole he would dig himself in if he yelled at her that he stays silent. 

 

“Great!” Henry exclaims. Ronan can visualize him and his too-big smile. The annoying fucker. Henry’s optimism adds to Ronan’s irritation. “See you tomorrow! Love you guys. Later.” 

 

A second after Blue ends the call, Ronan is bristling with contempt. Blue is usually careful not to overstep his boundaries, but she’s jumped over them this time. Greywaren matters are for the Greywaren and the Greywaren alone. “I’m not fucking meeting someone just because they want to talk to the Greywaren. You don’t even know who those people are. What if they have something to do with the person that could see Noah?” 

 

“That’s what I’m betting on. My mom called me earlier this morning and you know what she told me?” 

 

Ronan shakes his head, not trusting himself to reply. 

 

“Told me to say yes to whatever Henry offered today. Told me that it would help the Greywaren. Not Ronan, but the Greywaren. Like always, I had no clue what she meant but it all makes sense now.” 

 

_ The Greywaren.  _

 

Fuck. 

 

Ronan shakes his head again. Blue’s mother is one of the strongest witches he knows and her magic has never steered him wrong. It’s frustrating how Ronan knows that he can trust Blue’s words. Stubborn and angry, he stalks to the door. 

 

If this is going to be Greywaren related, then he needs to be prepared. In his mind, he’s already going through the information he needs to go through when he gets home. Even if Ronan’s coven is loyal to him, there are a lot of people that are still out for the Greywaren. He rolls his eyes as he thinks about the phone calls he’ll eventually have to make to to his older brother Declan. He slips on his shoes and says curtly, “Send me all the info you have.”

 

Blue is smiling when she replies: “Will do.” 

 

\-- 

 

Ronan’s digging around for information turns out to be a complete bust. No one has heard of any threats nor even slight ideas of harming the Greywaren. Declan, too, turns up with no news, but the phone call ends on friendly terms– or friendly as they can be. Matthew tells him that he hasn’t heard anything either but that their mother says hello and to stop by soon. Ronan says that once he’s free, he will. He calls Blue’s mother, Maura, as a last resort but all she tells him is to be careful and to listen to his mother. Ronan sighs and tells her that he will. 

 

With no leads, Ronan waits in Blue’s shop. Noah shows up as a mouse exactly one minute before Henry and his guests arrive. Ronan lets Noah scamper up his arm and rest on his shoulder. “Sorry for yesterday,” Ronan says quietly. There’s warmth in his fingertips, the odd way that forgiveness resides in his body. Noah doesn’t need to say it back because Ronan can feel it.

 

Blue’s cheery greeting draws Ronan’s attention to the door. He apprehensively stands up but nonetheless greets them cordially. Noah stays silent and with the events of yesterday taken under consideration, it’s a good thing. 

 

“Fancy meeting you here,” Henry says. He shakes Ronan’s hand, his grip a bit weak, and then introduces the person that he’s with. “Greywaren, this is my good friend Dick.” 

 

“I prefer Ronan,” Ronan says, offering his hand. 

 

“And I prefer Gansey,” Henry’s friend says. He’s a bit shorter than Ronan, but he holds himself with an air of importance. He looks powerful, and Ronan can feel the magic thrumming in his hand from one brief handshake that backs it up. Ronan knows that he’s the head of his coven just from his looks alone. His name, however...

 

“Gansey?” Ronan repeats. “As in Campbell Gansey?” 

 

Gansey grimaces slightly at the name, but he’s quick to recover himself. “The one and only,” he says. “Well, the one in three, really. I’m not here on business though, just out of curiosity.” 

 

“Curiosity brought you all the way out here to Henrietta? Last I heard, the Campbell coven was in Washington.” 

 

Blue had reassured him that the person in front of him was supposed  _ help _ the Greywaren and Henry is the last person to ever betray Ronan, but something still feels off. Ronan had broken off ties with the Campbell coven right after inheriting his father’s title of Greywaren. There was really nothing to it, just a trade deal that had gone too haywire for Ronan to want to fix. There were (and still are) plenty of covens out there that wanted to have an amiable relationship with Cabeswater, so why should Ronan have cared about one that messed up? He had let them go with ease and his pride kept him from reaching out to them for help when Cabeswater fell and then rose again. 

 

“D.C.,” Gansey corrects. “Washington D.C., much closer. And it might involve business, but I would like to cross that bridge when I get there.” 

 

Ronan raises an eyebrow. If Gansey doesn’t come up with a decent reason to keep Ronan’s attention, then Ronan is leaving. He has better things to do with his time than don his Greywaren cloak and pretend to care about other people’s problems. Ronan has enough of his own.

 

Maybe Maura was finally wrong. She was growing old. 

 

“But that’s not important,” Gansey rushes out. He can tell that Ronan is starting to get bored. Good, Ronan thinks. Maybe they can actually get somewhere now. “How much do you know about magical restoration?” 

 

Now this has Ronan’s attention, Blue’s too. Ronan can hear her take in a sharp breath from behind him. Magical Restoration is the touchy subject for the two of them, but there’s no way that Gansey could have know that. “Restoration?” he asks, keeping his voice level. “As in healing and such?” 

 

“More or less.” He looks around the shop and asks, “Is there a place to sit down? It might take a while.” 

 

Ronan looks at Blue and Blue nods. Her jaw is locked, but Ronan doesn’t mention it. “Follow me,” she grits. 

 

\--

 

A week later, Ronan meets Adam Parrish. He’s skinnier than Ronan had pictured, more delicate than described. In Ronan’s mind, he had seen someone that was hardened from their years of magic. In front of him, Adam looks unassuming but there is a steel glint in his eyes that tells Ronan to think twice. 

 

Gansey had explained that Adam is the one that needs help. He had depleted his magic abilities on a trade mission years prior. (Around the time that Ronan had cut off connections with their coven, but Ronan doesn’t pay mind to that detail.) Their group had been attacked by a hoard of feral pixies and although they were able to make it out without any casualties thanks to Adam, Adam was left with only an inkling of magical abilities. Like everything else in the world, magic has limits that you aren’t supposed to go beyond. Step too far and you have no hope of getting back up. 

 

It hadn’t been the first time that it had happened, Gansey explained sheepishly. The first time was a century prior when Gansey had just started to gain control over his pyrokinesis and had set himself on fire. 

 

He had died. Adam brought him back, practically killing himself in the process. 

 

Gansey doesn’t admit this outright, leaving out details, but the event had been the only thing that was talked about for a while. Ronan knows the story before Gansey ever mentions it. On his shoulder, Noah whimpers as Gansey explains how Adam had survived with only wisps of his magical prowess intact. Gansey said that it took time, but they came back to him. This time, however, they’re not coming back at all. 

 

“I can’t promise you anything,” he said said to Gansey, and he now says to Adam. They’re back in Blue’s apothecary shop, Henry and Gansey standing a little ways off, anticipation almost as thick as the magic in the air. Blue busies herself around the store, but Ronan knows that she’s keeping an eye on them in case anything goes wrong. “The reason we’re able to use magic is because our the magical energy around us is in line with the magical potential inside of us. It seems like, somehow, you’re off balance. I’ll try to see if I can tip the scales, but I don’t know if it’ll work.” 

 

Ronan’s tried this once before with Blue. It’s a simple process, really. All it requires is for one to shock magic into your system, a reset button if their bodies were pieces of technology. But a simple reset doesn’t always work, and in Blue’s case it left her in so much pain that Ronan couldn’t look at her for half a year without feeling guilt. 

 

No one ever attempts it because it requires an immense amount of magical ability that the average witch doesn’t have. Ronan is not the average witch. They also don’t attempt it because it’s dangerous and has too many unknown side effects. Ronan would never have done it, but Gansey had offered up fifteen percent of his coven’s resources.

 

Ronan had talked to Blue about it and Blue told him to take twenty percent and do it. She had rubbed her arms as she said it, unconsciously tracing the faint-white scars that the process had given her. They both knew that it would cover up the last bit of the debt. With it, Cabeswater could finally stand on its own. This was what Maura was talking about. Helping Cabeswater and in turn helping the Greywaren. 

 

It feels like a fresh breeze of air that Ronan never gets so he’s not surprised when he takes a step forward and Noah peaks out from Ronan’s jacket, sees Adam, and then screams, “It’s him!”

 

Him, the person that could see Noah. And if Blue and Ronan’s hunch is correct, then Adam is the one that is after the Greywaren. For whatever reason, Adam wants Ronan dead. 

 

Ronan is not going down without a fight. 

 

Ronan lunges forward with hexes on his lips. They hit Adam in the chest and he stills, eyes wide. Ronan grabs him and holds him down for good measure. Meanwhile, Blue had run across the store and wrestled Henry down, pink switchblade pressed against his neck as her knee pushed into his back. His face is wet, most likely due to some sort of potion that Blue had thrown. Noah quickly changes into his human form and then shoves Gansey into a wall and curses him in place. Noah bares his teeth, his hand around Gansey’s neck. For all they know, Gansey could see Noah too. 

 

Three against three, but Ronan is the Greywaren and he pities Henry for even thinking that he stood a chance against him. Maura had been right as always; taking up Henry’s offer had been helpful. It had helped Ronan sniff out a traitor he didn’t know that he had and helped catch the person who was after Ronan’s life. If all goes well, he can still use Gansey’s funds to pay off the debt. It’s a triple whammy. 

 

He needs to give Maura a present the next time he sees her. He remembers Blue mentioning that she was a fan of flowers. There was a nice flower shop across town that– 

 

“Noah?” Adam gasps out, his voice raspy from the freezing spell that Ronan had put on him. He even knows the name of Ronan’s familiar. He really was after them wasn’t he? 

 

“Shut the fuck up,” Ronan replies. He strengthens his grip on Adam and Adam whimpers into silence. “You guys too,” he spits out, glaring at Gansey and then Henry. “Fuck you, Henry. I thought I could trust you, but then in bring in these guys? What were they giving you that you thought it would be okay to have them come in and steal my magic and then what, off me? I’m not a fucking idiot, you know.” 

 

It makes sense, in a roundabout way. Magical restoration in its simplest of terms is shocking one’s magic system back into order, but it’s really a sharing of abilities. It would have been the perfect opportunity to take Ronan’s magic away from him and Ronan wouldn’t have had seen it coming. Henry was a part of Cabeswater and Ronan trusted Cabeswater with his life. 

 

“Too trusting, sometimes,” Blue says. “But yeah, not an idiot. None of us are.” 

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Henry says, voice breaking as Blue fiddles with the knife around Henry’s throat. “I swear, I’m loyal to Cabeswater, I’m loyal to the Greywaren. I’m loyal to you, Ronan!” 

 

“You fucker,” Ronan says. Sure, he’s had betrayals. Being given the title of Greywaren at such a young age will turn a lot of people against you, but it had never from someone that he trusted, someone that he considered a friend. Sure, Ronan wasn’t very fond of Henry and his antics, but Henry was still as a friend. The betrayal stings and Ronan has to fight hard against the pressure behind his eyelids. He really, truly, did not see this coming. “Don’t fucking speak.” 

 

Ronan has good control over his magic, but the shock from Henry double crossing him and from just stopping an attack on his life makes him more vulnerable than he would like to admit. _ How dare they. _ His anger moves in waves around them, a small tornado of energy that crashes into everything in its path. Supplies are thrown to the ground and crack, the lights over them flicker and then shatter. 

 

“Ronan,” Noah warns inside of his head. 

 

“Ronan!” Blue yells out loud. “Don’t let them get to you like this.” 

 

It’s the combination of the two of them that gets Ronan to calm down. They’re right: he shouldn’t let his emotions take over like this. Ronan relaxes and the energy seeps back into himself, leaving the shop in tatters. 

 

“There must be some misunderstanding,” Gansey wheezes. “We’re not here to kill you, I swear. We would never.” 

 

“You sure?” Ronan replies. “You come waltzing in with the person has broken all sorts of ancient magical rules to be able to see my familiar? And then offer up your own coven’s fortune just for an slight opportunity to steal my magic? What a load of bullshit.” 

 

“Misunderstanding,” Gansey repeats and he looks so lost that Ronan thinks he’ll give them a bit of mercy. He decides that he won’t publicly out them as someone that failed to kill the Greywaren– there are already too many people with that title to their name. He’ll still take the twenty percent they owe him, but he decides that taking all their magic should be a good enough compensation. An eye for an eye. 

 

Try to take away the Greywaren’s magic, and he’ll take away yours instead. 

 

“I would never go against you, Ronan,” Henry pleads. “Please, let us go. We can explain.” 

 

“Explain what?” Noah bites, not knowing who can see him and who can’t. Noah is a familiar, a demon from another dimension but he never looks very demon-like. He takes the form of a mouse, and he usually looks so friendly that everyone, Ronan included, forgets that he’s a demon. Not now, though. Noah’s forgone the pretenses that make him seem so amiable: his eyes have sunken on themselves so all that’s left is a pitch black abyss. His skin has gone grey and ashy, his fingers stretched into claws. “How your friend here is able to see me without my permission? What kind of black fucking magic is that?” 

 

The room is quiet, only the sound of labored breathing in the air. Adam coughs and says, “Not black magic. Noah, it’s me. It’s Adam. Adam Parrish.” 

 

Noah turns when Adam addresses him, face in shock. “What,” he says, recoiling like he’s been burned. “The name was just a coincidence.” Gansey falls to the ground, coughing as Noah’s curse is lifted. “No. No. No.” He sounds broken, like something inside of him has withered away and died. “ _ How? _ ” 

 

“He’s not going to hurt you,” Noah says to Ronan inside his head. “They never meant to hurt you.” Ronan doesn’t look up to meet his gaze. Ronan has no idea how Noah is making these conclusions, going from point A to point B with nothing to tie them together. Is he losing Noah too? Ronan feels himself crumbling. 

 

“How the fuck do you know that,” Ronan thinks and it takes him a moment to realize that he’s said it outloud too. 

 

“Ronan,” Blue warns.

 

“My name’s Adam Parrish,” Adam says, voice weak and small. For some reason, Ronan relaxes his grip and lets Adam breathe freely. “My name is Adam Parrish,” he repeats, “and I’m Noah’s master.” 

 

“You’re shitting me,” Blue announces, right before Ronan – in shock – lets out a wave of magic that knocks everyone in the room but himself unconscious. 

 

\-- 

 

Noah sits on the floor of Blue’s living room with his hands in his lap. Ronan stands next to him, his arms crossed over his chest. Noah looks sheepish, and has every reason to be. He had another master and never told Ronan about it. Ronan has never been in a serious relationship, but he feels like he has been cheated on. In Noah’s defense, he had thought his master had died. Noah had felt the last of his Adam’s magical powers dwindle away after he had brought Gansey back from the dead and for a witch, having no magical powers can only mean one thing: death. 

 

Unless, of course, you’re Adam Parrish. 

 

“I thought he was dead. You have a dead master, you don’t need to cut the bond. The bond’s already been cut, you know?” 

 

“Care to explain to me how you got bounded to me, then? You can’t have two bonds at once, that requires too much magical energy,” Ronan says and then he thinks back to Blue’s comment on how Noah was an incredibly powerful familiar. “Shit, are you saying that you have enough power to keep two bonds going at the same time? What the fuck.” 

 

“I don’t know, Ronan. I know just as much as you do. I’ve never seen him since then, never felt any of his emotions, never heard his thoughts. I’m just as confused as you are,” Noah says and Ronan can feel Noah’s annoyance as a dull ache in the back of the head. 

 

“Explains how Noah could be seen,” someone chips in and both Noah and Ronan turn their heads to see Blue stumble into the room. After Ronan’s magical outburst, he was left with five unconscious bodies and his thoughts for company. Noah had woken up a minute later and had explained who Adam was to him. He asked Ronan not to harm him and while Noah might ask for Ronan to buy him some sweets now and then, Noah has never asked anything magic-related from him. Ronan complied and the two of them moved the sleeping witches up to Blue’s apartment above the apothecary. 

 

Blue walks to the couch and flops on top of it. “How’d you not recognize him, though? He’s your master,” Blue’s actions might be listless, but her voice is sharp and cautious. 

 

“I haven’t seen him in over a hundred years, am I supposed to remember exactly what he looks like?” Noah bites. 

 

“He’s your master,” Ronan interjects. 

 

“I thought he was dead! He was gone! I felt nothing from him! I thought our bond was broken. Do you think I’m lying to you? After all these years together, and I’m lying to you?” 

 

“Noah, I don’t think you’re lying but things aren’t adding up,” Ronan says. He doesn’t want to believe that Noah is lying. Noah has been here from the start, before he even met Blue. Noah is his familiar, his best friend. 

 

“Ronan, I didn’t even know that Adam was alive before yesterday. Even then, I didn’t know it was my Adam until I saw him. When you guys were saying his name, I thought that it had to be someone else. But then I felt his magic and I _ knew _ . It was the same magic that I felt back at the coffeeshop and then everything– just. It was my master. My old master,” he adds quickly. 

 

“Did you not recognize Gansey either? If you were Adam’s master when the fire happened, you had to have known Gansey. How come you didn’t recognize him?” Ronan asks. 

 

Noah hangs his head. “He was Richard back then. I didn’t know him by anything but. They were kids and I don’t even think Adam knew his last name so I sure didn’t. I’m a demon, my memory isn’t supposed to be perfect. I _ have  _ met a lot of humans in my lifetime.” 

 

“If Adam’s magic is drained to the point where he’s asking the Greywaren for help, then it’s possible that Adam wasn’t even aware that the bond was still there. If he wasn’t aware of it, then he wouldn’t use it, right?” Blue adds. 

 

Ronan thinks about his reply. Everything is still so confusing, but he trusts Blue. He trusts Noah. Hell, he still trusts Henry too. “I want Gansey and Adam out of here as soon as they wake up.” 

 

“I’m telling the truth, Ronan. I wouldn’t ever lie to you,” Noah says. “Give Adam a chance, will you? I don’t allow shitty people to be my master. You should know that,” he adds bitterly before disappearing from Ronan’s sight. 

 

\-- 

 

Gansey and Henry wake up in within the next hour and Gansey tells virtually the same story that Noah had: they seeked out the help of the Greywaren because Adam was getting weaker and weaker by the day and they had heard that Cabeswater was struggling with their debts. It was a win-win. 

 

Henry keeps insisting that he would never betray Ronan and the Greywaren, bursting into tears at one point. Ronan has to calm him down. To be safe, Ronan has Blue slip a truth potion into their drinks but their stories stay solid. 

 

A week passes and Adam hasn’t woken up. Gansey makes a trip back to his own coven and comes back with the promised twenty percent of resources. Ronan denies it but Gansey keeps insisting, saying that it’s for the trouble they caused and for now taking care of Adam. Gansey gets smart and gives it to Blue who takes it without a complaint. 

 

After all, Maura is always right and by extension so is Blue. Their coven can finally support themselves and Ronan can finally take a breath. It's short-lived. 

 

A month later, Adam still hasn’t woken up and although he has plenty of duties to take care of, Ronan finds himself drawn to Adam’s side. He’s curious about who Adam Parrish really is. All Ronan knows is that Adam looks peaceful when he’s asleep, that he’s somehow Noah’s master, and that he won’t wake up. 

 

Ronan doesn’t know what to do with this information. Adam is a maddening and intriguing enigma and Ronan wants to know more. 

 

Noah sits on the edge of the Adam’s bed. They had moved him to a more comfortable area once they realized that Adam wasn’t showing any signs of waking up. “He’s so weak,” Noah comments. “I can feel it. It’s a weird feeling.” 

 

Ronan’s head is feeling light. It had started a few days ago, and Ronan had initially chalked it up to being just a headache but it hasn’t gone away and it seems to be growing with his proximity to Adam. “I think I can feel it too,” Ronan says. “Should that be possible?” 

 

“Having two masters shouldn’t be possible, so yeah, probably,” Blue says. She’s still wary of the entire situation.

 

Gansey adds, “Maybe because Noah is feeling it and by extension so are you?” 

 

“I think he’s dying,” Noah comments softly and then gasps in pain. Ronan jumps at the noise, worried for his familiar, but then the pain hits him as well. 

 

“Holy fuck,” Ronan gasps, clutching at his head. It’s as if someone has touched the back of his head with a white-hot iron. He wants to scream yet all that comes out is a mangled moan. But as quick as the pain comes, it’s gone. 

 

“What the fuck?” Blue exclaims, her hands on the belt where she keeps her potions and elixirs. Gansey is too shocked to say anything, but he stands in the room with his eyes wide open. 

 

“He’s dying,” Noah says. He whips his head to look at Ronan. “Ronan, Adam’s dying. His system has no magic left, it’s– he’s dying.” 

 

Maybe because they’re familiar and master, maybe because they’re best friends, maybe because they’ve known each other for close to a century, maybe because Adam is also Noah’s master, maybe because Adam can’t die yet when Ronan has so many question for him to answer. Whatever it is, Ronan tells everyone to get out of the room. “Just go,” he says when he sees Gansey tensing to ask something. Blue and Noah are already halfway out of the door. 

 

The room empties itself and Ronan feels his head grow lighter as Adam fades away. He takes Adam’s hands in his, closes his eyes, and empties his mind. 

 

He’s only done this once before, but the magic flows easily. 

 

\-- 

 

Ronan swears that he’s dreaming when Adam opens his eyes. He had only given Adam enough magic to keep him stable, but it had still been draining. He slumps against the side of the bed, his eyelids heavy weights. 

 

“Adam?” Ronan asks. 

 

Adam blinks slowly and opens his mouth but nothing comes out. There’s a glass of water on the bedside table that Blue had placed there a few days before so it’s probably stale, but it’s better than nothing. He takes it and holds it up for Adam to drink. Adam leans forward and drains half the cup. 

 

Ronan sets the half-empty glass down and then tries again. “Adam?” 

 

“Ronan?” Adam replies. “What happened?” 

 

Ronan doesn’t know where to begin. “A fuckton of things.” 

 

Adam relaxes back into his pillow and sighs. For some reason– perhaps due to the fact that Ronan’s own magic is flowing through Adam’s body– Adam looks different. He looks softer, as if there’s a slight glow around him. He looks brighter and all Ronan can do is stare. Ronan feels a cool sensation run up his arms. It’s relief, but exactly whose relief is it? 

 

Noah’s words ring through his head.  _ Give him a chance.  _

 

“I think we should reintroduce ourselves,” Ronan says. He takes a breath and then continues, “I’m Ronan Lynch. The Greywaren and the head of the Cabeswater coven. I’m Noah’s master” 

 

Adam smiles, a little strained and small but a smile nonetheless. “I’m Adam Parrish. A witch and a member of the Campbell coven. I’m also Noah’s master.” 

 

“Seems we have a lot to talk about.” 

 

“Seems so.” 

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on twitter @ [_onceandforall](https://twitter.com/_onceandforall) or tumblr @ [romanuva](http://romanuva.tumblr.com/) for more crying about ronan and adam, among other things.


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